Electronics

A new prosthesis, designed and built by researchers at Case Western University is now capable of using measurements from 20 sensor points to the control grip force of its digits. Incredibly, the sensor data is linked directly to the sensory nerves in the forearm. The control for the grip closure is then extracted myoelectrically from the muscles in the forearm.

After a protracted battle that lasted seven years and resulted in what can best be described as a dull stalemate, a new act in the Console War has finally begun with the release of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

If you’ve ever watched The Matrix or Ocean’s Eleven, you’ll be familiar with EMP weapons — pulses of intense electromagnetic radiation that melts any nearby conductors, which can be found in just about any electrical system or electronic device. Despite their sci-fi-like portrayal by Hollywood, EMP weapons are very real, and very capable of destroying computers or knocking out a power grid. That’s why the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany has now created a device that can defend against EMP attacks.

SpaceX has successfully completed its first launch of a commercial satellite into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). This marks the seventh ever flight of the SpaceX Falcon launch system, and the second launch of the recently upgraded Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket. Impressively, except for a small glitch on its fourth flight, SpaceX has retained a perfect launch record. SES actually got a discount from SpaceX for the launch, presumably due to the added risk of this being the company’s first attempt to reach GTO.

One of the tech world’s most archaic aspects is that plugs don’t universally connect to ports — even the ones that have the word “universal” right there in the name. Aside from power cords with two prongs of equal size, the most prominent plug that can be reversed and connected is Apple’s Lightning connector, a much less widespread connector type than standard USB. Now, with the next generation of USB, everyone’s favorite serial bus will be reversible and connect any way you jam it in.

Cree, the LED company best known for their $10 LED bulb, has had a busy year. After releasing the Cree LED bulb in 40W- and 60W-equivalent models, the company went on to ship a high color accuracy model, the Cree TW, and a BR30 directional bulb. Today, well under a year since the release of its first consumer LED bulb, Cree has announced a 75W-equivalent, 1100 lumen model, priced at $24.

Amazon, the company that already automates many of its warehouses and fulfillment centers with robot workers, has unveiled Amazon Prime Air — a new delivery method that will see autonomous quadcopters deliver your order within 30 minutes.

Electrons that are trapped inside nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond show a remarkable coherence with spin states that can be precisely manipulated. If the electron coherence inside nanoscale diamond can be preserved for long enough, not only will we have the perfect qubit for a quantum computer, but the perfect device to reveal the secret lives of neurons.